Railroad car journal lubricator



NOV. 1, 1955 MIKLQS 2,722,466

RAILROAD CAR JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Filed Nov. 27, 1953 iz I 1522/2 m.- 4 M/zmnder fizZZaa J wWW ZQQWMM United States Patent ()fiiice 2,722,466 Patented Nov. 1, 1955 RAILROAD CAR JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Alexander Miklos, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 27, 1953, Serial N 0. 394,585

6 Claims. (Cl. 308-88) This invention is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 270,437, filed February 7, 1952, and now Patent 2,684,880, issued July 27, 1954,

and refers particularly to a lubricator for railroad car I journals which is reliable and efiicient in operation and which may be conveniently and quickly adapted to journal boxes of existing cars having conventional lubricating means.

At the present time car journals are usually lubricated by oil carried in the journal box, the oil being transferred to the journal by means of cotton waste. In employing waste as the capillary agent for the oil in the manner presently practiced, the waste tends to get soggy and drops away from the journal, sags or becomes disintegrated and the journal may not be properly lubricated, resulting in the more or less commonly encountered hot box.

It has heretofore been proposed to employ expedients which would supplant the conventional waste method of lubrication, but in substantially all instances the devices have required special journal boxes or required such alteration and/ or added equipment to existing journal boxes that they are impractical.

One of the features of the present invention resides in its ready adaptation to conventional journal boxes; indeed, the only alteration of the conventional journal box consists in the boring of two holes in the walls of the box. The added equipment is simple and easily installed and removed.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawing and following detailed description.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan sectional view through a journal box which includes an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view illustrating the hanger for the lubricating device.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a different position of the parts.

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detailed perspective view of one of the lubricating units.

Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a detailed perspective view of the lubricating pad-holder.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 indicates a conventional journal box for a railroad car journal 2 which is positioned in said box. For purposes of clarity in illustration, the usual bearing is not shown. The journal box 1 carries a quantity of lubricating oil 3 which, in conventional journal boxes, is carried to the journal surface by capillary attraction, usually by the employment of waste with which the journal is packed. The usual journal box is provided with an opening 4 which is cov ered by a conventional hinged cover, whereby oil and waste may be introduced into the box. The opening 4 is relatively small and permits access to the interior of the box only for waste and oil and, hence, to incorporate any other mechanism in the box it must be so constructed and devised that it can be manipulated from the exterior of the box through said relatively small opening.

As an important feature of the present invention an eificient, reliable lubricating device is contemplated which may be quickly adapted to use with existing journal boxes with the expenditure of a minimum amount of labor; that is, any manipulations necessary to the mounting, removal or replacement of my improved lubricating unit. can be performed through the relatively small journal box opening.

To adapt existing journal boxes to use with my invention involves merely the boring of two openings 5 and 6 in a side wall of the box 1. A stud 7 is positioned within opening 5 and a stud 8 is positioned in opening 6, and both studs may be secured firmly in place by nuts 9 accessible from the exterior of the box.

The stud 7 carries within the box an eye member 10 which is provided with an opening 11 defined by oppositely inclined conical surfaces. The stud 8 carries, within the box, a block 12 in which is provided a bayonet slot 13. Preferably, the eye member is formed integral with stud 7 and similarly block 12 is formed integral with stud 8, although, if desired, the respective parts may be separate and may be joined together in any well known manner. As will be hereinafter more fully described, the eye member 10 and block 12 constitute supports for a hanger 14 upon which the lubricating units for the journal are mounted.

The hanger 14 comprises a rod which for a major portion of its length, as indicated at 15 in Figs. 3 and 4, is rectangular in cross-section, preferably square. The remaining length of the rod, as at 16, is round in section. The rod 14 and eye member 10 are assembled as a unit before mounting in the box 1 by inserting the end portion 16 through the aperture 11 and then flaring or swaging the end to form a conical seating surface 17, the outer diameter of which is greater than the diameter of the constricted neck of the opening 11. A washer 18 circumscribes the circular-sectioned portion 16 of the rod 14 and bears against the side of the eye 10 under the influence of spring 19 which, at its opposite end, bears against washer 20 which, in turn, bears against the shoulder formed by the end of the square-sectioned portion 15 of the rod 14. Thus, under the influence of spring 19, the rod 14 is so resiliently urged as to seat the flared end 17 of the rod upon the conical defining surface of the aperture 11, as shown best in Fig. 4.

As can readily be seen in Fig. 3, the relationship of the end portion 16 of rod 14 to the aperture 11 in eye member 10 is such that rod 14 is not only axially movable a limited distance with respect to said eye member, but it is also swingable a limited degree with respect to said eye member by virtue of the opposed conical surfaces defining aperture 11. Thus, it is possible 'to so cant the rod 14 that its free end is almost in alignment with opening 4. The purpose of this degree of movement will be hereinafter more fully described.

Adjacent the free end of rod 14, said rod is provided with a notch 21, the rod adjacent the notch being of such thickness that it can readily enter the opening of the bayonet slot 13. However, it will be noted'that the spacing of eye member 10 from block 12 islessthan the distance between notch 21 and the end 17 of the rod. Hence, in order to engage the square-sectioned portion 15 of the rod 14 in the bayonet slot 13, the rod must be moved axially to compress spring 19 until the notch: 21 registers with bayonet slot 13. In this position rod 14 may be moved into the bayonet slot and the spring 19 can then move the rod axially to seat the end portion 17 upon the conical surface defining aperture 11. Notch 21 will then be offset with respect to the block 12 and the rod 14 will be immovable laterally and circularly about its axis and will be movable axially only against the compression of spring 19.

The lubricating units comprise felt or other absorbent pads 22 which may have an arcuate face 23 which conforms to the curvature of the surface of journal 2, said pad terminating in a tail portion 24 which may dip into the oil 3, as shown best in Fig. 2. Thus, by capillary attraction oil will be conveyed to the surface 23 whereby it will be deposited upon the surface of the journal. The pad 22 may be carried by a pad holder 25 which, in turn, may be pivotally carried upon a resilient arm 26. The arm 26 may terminate in a square-sectioned tube 27 which is adapted to slidably engage the square-sectioned portion 15 of rod 14.

As shown best in Fig. l, a plurality of lubricating units, such as described, may be carried upon rod 14 between the supports 10 and 12 whereby a desired portion of the surface of the journal 2 may be adequately lubricated. It can readily be seen that the lubricating units may be mounted upon and removed from the rod merely by engaging and disengaging the free end portion of the rod from the bayonet slot 13 in the manner described. To facilitate the engagement and disengagement of the rod, a tool 28 may be employed which has a square, recessed head 29 for engagement with the free end of the rod. To facilitate such engagement the rod 14 is preferably tapered as shown.

Of course, when the units are mounted upon rod 14 and said rod is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 the pads 22 will be resiliently held against the journal surface by the spring arms 26. Said arms are flexed when in operative position, the flexing occurring When the rod 14 is engaged with the block 12. In other words, with the free end portion of rod 14 in disengaged position with respect to block 12, the arms 26 are unflexed, but when the free end of said rod is raised to horizontal position to effect engagement with block 12, the arms Will be flexed by the contact of the pad surfaces 23 with the journal.

If desired, spacers 30 comprising square-sectioned tubular members may be positioned upon rod 14 between adjacent units, or in the alternative, the tubular ends 27 may extend laterally from the arms 26 and serve as spacers for said arms, that is, the spacers may be integral with the arm tubes 27.

Although any suitable pad holder is contemplated, pad holder 25 has been found to be particularly effective and economical to manufacture. The pad holder 25 is formed integral, having a longitudinal fold 31 which, before the pad is carried thereon, is opened angularly, as shown best in Fig. 8. Opposite serrated flanges 32 are carried on the longitudinal edges of the holder between which the pad may be disposed. The fold 31 may then be closed whereby the serrated teeth firmly grasp the pad which is backed by the body of the holder. Ears 33 may be struckup from the body of the holder, said ears being apertured, as at 34 in Fig. 8, to receive hinge pin 35 whereby the unit is pivotally carried by arm 26. I

It can readily be seen that the only modification necessary in existing journal boxes for the use of my invention is to bore the two holes and 6 in a wall thereof. The remaining structure may be inserted through the journal box opening 4, and through said opening the lubricating units may be mounted or removed from their position upon the hanger rod 14 which is an attribute of the manner of mounting the rod 14 upon the supporting members and 12 and the unique construction of the rod perse.

I claim as my invention:

1. A lubricating device for a railroad car journal wherein the journal extends into a journal box in the bottom of which a body of lubricating oil is carried, comprising a supporting rod for disposition in said journal box, a pair of spaced supports adapted to be mounted on the inner wall of the journal box upon which said rod is supported, one of said supports being provided with an aperture in which an end portion of said rod is axially, swingably and rotatably positioned relative to said support, the other support being provided with a notch in which said rod is rotatably and laterally immovable but axially movable, resilient means carried by said rod urging said rod to a limited position axially with respect to said supports, resilient arms carried by said rod intermediate said supports, and absorbent pads carried by said arms for contacting the surface of said journal, a portion of said pads being adapted to dip in said oil body to carry oil by capillary attraction to the journal surface.

2. A lubricating device for a railroad car journal wherein the journal extends into a journal box in the bottom of which a body of lubricating oil is carried, comprising a supporting rod for disposition in said journal box, a pair of spaced supports adapted to be mounted on the inner wall of the journal box upon which said rod is supported, one of said supports being provided with an aperture in which an end portion of said rod is axially, swingably and rotatably positioned relative to said support, means for limiting the axial movement of said rod, the other support being provided with a notch in which said rod is retatably and laterally immovable but axially movable, resilient means carried by said rod urging said rod to said limited position axially with respect to said supports, resilient arms carried by said rod intermediate said supports, and absorbent pads carried by said arms for contacting the surface of said journal, a portion of said pads being adapted to dip in said oil body to carry oil by capillary attraction to the journal surface.

3. A lubricating device for a railroad car journal wherein the journal extends into a journal box in the bottom of which a body of lubricating oil is carried, comprising a supporting rod for disposition in said journal box, said rod having a rectangular sectioned portion and a circular sectioned end portion, a pair of spaced supports adapted to be mounted on the inner wall of the journal box upon which said rod is supported, one of said supports being provided with an aperture in which the circular sectioned end portion of said rod is axially, swingably and rotatably positioned relative to said support, the other support being provided with a notch in which the rod at its rectangular sectioned portion is held rotatably and laterally immovable but axially movable, resilient means embracing the circular sectioned portion of said rod urging said rod toward the notched support to a limited position axially with respect to said supports, resilient arms carried by said rod intermediate said supports, and absorbent pads carried by said arms for con tacting the surface of said journal, a portion of said pads being adapted to dip in said oil body to carry oil by capil' lary attraction to the journal surface.

4. A lubricating device for a railroad car journal wherein the journal extends into a journal box in the bottom of which a body of lubricating oil is carried, comprising a supporting rod for disposition in said journal box, said rod having a rectangular sectioned portion and a circular sectioned end portion, a pair of spaced supports adapted to be mounted on the inner wall of the journal box upon which said rod is supported, one of said supports being provided with an aperture in which the circular sectioned end portion of said rod is loosely carried whereby said rod is axially, swingably and rotatably positioned relative to said support, the rectangular sectioned portion of the rod being provided with a notch, the other support being provided with a bayonet slot into which said notch engages to position the rectangular sectioned portion of the rod in said notch to hold said rod rotatably and laterally immovable but axially movable in said slot, resilient means carried by said rod urging said rod to a limited position axially with respect to said supports, re-

silient arms carried by said rod intermediate said supports, and absorbent pads carried by said arms for contacting the surface of said journal, a portion of said pads being adapted to dip in said oil body to carry oil by capillary attraction to the journal surface.

5. A lubricating device for a railroad car journal wherein the journal extends into a journal box in the bottom of which a body of lubricating oil is carried, comprising a pair of supports, means adapted for mounting said supports in spaced relationship upon the inner wall of said journal box, one of said supports being provided with a circular opening defined by an edge of relatively restricted width, the other support being provided with a bayonet slot the inner portion of which is rectangular in cross-section, a rod having a substantially rectangular sectioned portion and a substantially circular sectioned end portion, said circular sectioned end portion of the rod being supported in said first-mentioned support wherein said rod is rotatable, swingable and axially movable, means upon said rod for limiting axial movement thereof, resilient means carried by said rod resiliently holding said rod in its axially limited position, the rectangular sectioned portion of the rod being provided with a notch engaged with the opening of said bayonet slot to permit positioning of the rectangular sectioned portion of the rod in the rectangular opening of the second support whereby said rod is held rotatably immovable and axially movable in said second support, said supports being at a distance apart less than the distance of the rod notch from the axial movement limiting means carried by said rod, resilient arms carried by said rod intermediate said supports,

and absorbent pads carried by said arms for contacting the surface of said journal, a portion of said pads being adapted to dip in said oil body to carry oil by capillary attraction to the journal surface.

6. A lubricating device for a railroad car journal wherein the journal extends into a journal box in the bottom of which a body of lubricating oil is carried, comprising a supporting rod for disposition in said journal box parallel to said journal, a pair of spaced supports adapted to be mounted on the inner lateral wall of the journal box upon which said rod is supported, one of said supports being provided with an aperture for the reception of an end portion of said rod whereby said rod is axially, swingably and rotatably positioned relative to said support, the other support being provided with a notch in which said rod is rotatably and laterally immovable but axially movable, resilient means carried by said rod for urging said rod to a limited position axially with respect to said supports, resilient arms carried transversely on said rod intermediate said supports, and absorbent pads carried by the end portions of said arms for con tacting the surface of said journal, a portion of said pads being adapted to dip in said oil body to carry oil by capil: lary attraction to the journal surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

